Doctor Who [10]

Some of the editing in this is a bit annoying, but some good bits from the 50th special the 5-ish Doctors, putting it up mainly because towards the end there is a nice bit where they link up some of the quotes in it with the their appearance in classic.
(David you are banned from watching this- in fact now I think about it you shouldn't even be here at all!! As its on the memory stick with all the other 50th extra goodies- about which I have some good news tomorrow).

Bluebottle wrote: Maybe I'll listen to some of his BF stuff, at least he got to have a proper go at the character there.

It is worth noting that Big Finish is a very small company, so they tend to be quite expensive, though they hold frequent (and very generous) sales (Almost all of my purchases worth bought on sales) which they announce on their facebook page, so it may be worth following them, you can also subcribe or buy bundles to save money. If you buy a story on CD you get a free dowload copy uploaded to you account as well.


There are 2 starting points for McGann, either Storm Warning or Blood of the Daleks.


McGann's first BF story is Storm Warning released in 2001 for the Monthly Range, introducing his first companion Charlotte Pollard. The Monthly range consists of 12/13 releases a year, each release is normally comprised of 4-6 20-30 minutes episodes (so a 120-150 minute story generally, though there are exceptions), mimicking the style of the serials of the Classic Series, the first 50 releases in the main range are permanently discounted to £2.99 on Download, though unfortunately are mostly out of print on CD. Unlike the other Doctors in the Main Range, McGann's stuff is mostly chronological, and dosen't really depend on knowledge of Classic Who.

Zagreus, the 50th Monthly Release and 40th Anniversary release is 4 hours long, and very divisive, some loath it, some (like me) love it, it's a multi doctor story with a difference...

Zagreus leads into the 10 story (I think) long 'Divergent Universe' Arc which introduces a knew companion C'Rizz, this a is very dark and divisive arc, though I've only listened to the first few myself.

McGann's stories with Charley and C'Rizz ended in 2007.

He later returned to the Main Range in 2009 with 'The Company of Friends' comprised of 4 separate 25 minute episodes, each with a companion from the wider expanded media-Izzy from the 8th Doctor Comics, Bernice 'Benny' Summerfield who was a companion of the 8th Doctor in the book 'The Dying Days'(She first appeared in several of the 'Virgin New Adventures' range of books alongside the 7th Doctor, and has since featured in several audios, and her own spin off range) Fitz Krieiner from the BBC 'Eighth Doctor Adventures' novels, and Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein), three of these episodes are implied to be in the separate continuities of their characters. Though Mary's episode in 'The Company of Friends' is actually set prior to Storm Warning (he mentions Mary occasionally in his travels with Charley) and

MASSIVE SPOILERS:

this later lead to a trilogy of Mary Shelley/8 in 2011, you could listen to Mary's stories first though it does contain minor spoilers for 'Terra Firma'.

Here is the link for his monthly  releases:

http://www.bigfinish.com/ranges/all_reverse/monthly-series?filter%5B1%5D=8+-+Eighth&filter%5B2%5D=&filter%5B3%5D=&filter%5B12%5D=&filter%5B142%5D=&free_search=&release_number=&release_start_month=&release_start_year=&release_end_month=&release_end_year=

In 2003 McGann starred in a remake of the partially completed 4th Doctor story 'Shada':


http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/shada-451


In 2006 they started a new range 'The Eighth Doctor Adventures' (not to be confused with the 74 book long BBC range of the same name) often referred to as the EDA's they introduced a new companion Lucy Miller (and later Tamsin Drew), and are set many years after his travels with Charley, C'Rizz and Mary. These are closer to the New Series in terms of Format, 45-50 minute episodes, with the occasional 2 parter:

http://www.bigfinish.com/ranges/released_reverse/eighth-doctor-adventures

The special episode 'An Earthly Child' is a follow up to 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' and features the return of The Doctors Granddaughter, and introduces his great-grand son Alex, it fits in between 'Death In Blackpool' and 'Situation Vacant' and is essential listening for the finale of Series 4 of the EDA'a:

http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/an-earthly-child-442

The EDA's were followed by the 4 Dark Eyes Box Sets each comprised of 4, 45-60 minute episodes:

http://www.bigfinish.com/ranges/released/doctor-who---dark-eyes

(You can get the lot for £80 on a bundle)

The recently announced Doom Coalition is a 4 box set follow up to Dark Eyes:


http://www.bigfinish.com/ranges/coming_soon_reverse/doctor-who---doom-coalition


The 8th Doctor also appears in the special episodes 'The Four Doctors' and 'The Light At The End':

http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-four-doctors-subscription-exclusive-683

http://www.bigfinish.com/search_results?txtSearch=The+Light+At+The+End&x=0&y=0


There's a few other short stories as well but I don't know much about those.


As for the 8th Doctor books and comics, they were largely developed independently of the audios, Zagreus suggested they take place in separate universes, 'Mary's Story' in the Company of Friends seemingly confirmed they didn't

MASSIVE SPOILER:

, they are rarely referred to so it's largely left up to the listener to figure out how they fit in.

Knowone seems quite sure about The 8th Doctors timeline but here is an attempt:

http://www.eyespider.freeserve.co.uk/drwho/pm/list.html

An excellent overall appraisal of 8ths audio adventurers there Malick

Regards your first spoiler-

Spoiler:

Out of those you have heard who is your favourite 8 companion? I think for me its probably Lucie Miller- dare I say she is what Rose should have been.

I love when Dave and Malick come to play with us.

It is nice (although between you and me Amarie I think David might have a slight grudge held against me due to our difference of opinion over agricultural policy, and specifically what goes into a good bit of agriculture, especially at about 3am as I weave my way home from the Duck n' Muck of a night)

(Might be why I noticed there's a pitchfork outside. It's a good thing we have security by the door to make sure we arrive armed only with sharp tongues and biting remarks. Oh and handbags. Us girls need to have our handbags. )

Just as a curiosity: I tried having a Dr Who discussion with Finrod some time ago, I think I was saying something about there coming a new season and he said something about really disliking cliffhangers. And I thought I'd ask just for the fun of it, it went a little something like this.
Me: So, what do you think of Clara?
F: Who?
Me: The girl with dark hair.
F: *shrug* Don't remember her.
Me: The one before then. Amy Pond?
F: *shrug*
Me: The redhead.
F: Oh, the sexy one?
Me: Yeah the sexy one!
F: She was ok. Even if she was a bit lost...
Me: *waits a second or two in case there's more* *nods in agreement/acknowledgment that I have heard him*

Even if she was a bit lost...- Finrod

I actually really like that as a poetic description of Amy. She was lost, as a little girl and it took all her time with the Doctor, the very person who got her lost, to find herself again.  Not sure if thats how he meant it, but its how I'm choosing to read it! A man of few words your Finrod, but he sees right to the heart of her soul. His ancestors must have been writing Fjordian sagas, the ones with hot red heads in them with long legs

Well that IS one way of reading it.

I miss 24 hours and all this talk? How am I honestly meant to keep up?

Actually, I think it's less than 24 hours. You people shoud be ashamed of yourselves.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:An excellent overall appraisal of 8ths audio adventurers there Malick

Regards your first spoiler-

Spoiler:

Out of those you have heard who is your favourite 8 companion? I think for me its probably Lucie Miller- dare I say she is what Rose should have been.

SPOILER:

Yeah Lucy is my favourite, she's brash, bolshy but hillarious and brave, you never forget she's just a teenager, but sherdian smith sells the character really well, dat ending though

Charley and Mary and both great, I haven't heard much of C'Rizz yet (though given what I've read about him I'm not expecting much), Tamsin unfortunately didn't stick around long enough to get to know the character she seems kinda generic.

I really liked Fitz from the one episode he was in as well, sexist, selfish and hillariously stereotyped (the actor said he based him on Danny Dyer ) but a great character, he makes a change from the usual mid 20's female companion from london. It's one of the reasons I'm keen to read the BBC 8th Doctor books-Fitz is in almost 60 of them I believe, he's technically the Doctors longest serving companion I think.

Amy space cadet.

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/leaked-sony-emails-reveals-doctor-who-movie-plans-73062.htm

Times like these I am even more glad than usual Mofat is at the helm- he is quite right not to bow to the pressure from the money men here- if he cant get answers to how a film will work in regard to the show then its a no-goer.

Interesting however they talk here about an 8 year plan, I wonder if thats a bit of misreporting and it actually is the same as the recently announced 5 year deal the BBC have done to keep the show on air for at least that long.
In which case there was certainly no film even hinted at by the BBC press release as being a part of that plan.

Love this, its a short piece about how the Who theme tune was created, just amazing what they come up with the tech they had, building the whole piece up note by note.
Also I absolutely adore the names they came up with the their 'new' tech instruments- who doesn't want a go on the Wobulator!

A very interesting take on the Who theme composed for piano-

Series 9 news, Moffat talks about Capaldi's second series performance, two-parters, Jenna as companion and Missy.Interestingly he mentions going back to rewatch the 3rd Doctor/Master (Delgado version) dynamic -



And congratulations to Milk VFX and Real SFX who just took home the the Bafta for Special, Visual and Graphic Effects at the 2015 Bafta Craft Awards. Well deserved too, the effets this year from the physical like the Teller to the cgi like the T-Rex and moonscapes were excellent. And I love how they used real old skool effects as well (did you know for example that many of the Dalek boarding party shots in 'Into the Dalek' uses miniatures?)

Moffat speaking of the third Doctor and the Master:

"The Doctor's best friend is a murdering psychopath! What are we going to do with that? It's actually quite fun."

The Master always was his best friend, they grew up together as kids, went to Academy together, graduated together.
We also know form various sources that as a child the Doctor was incredibly lonely and isolated, so it must have meant a lot to him.

I took the "It's actually quite fun.' bit to be a writer comment, its fun to write once you take the fact his best friend is a murdering psycho onboard as a reflection on the sort of person the Doctor is.

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/moffat-on-capaldis-familiar-face-whether-missy-followed-simm-73332.htm

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/davison-on-returning-fiveish-doctors-sequel-73302.htm

Chance for you to go enjoy some quality Who music Halfy!-

'BBC Worldwide North America has announced the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular is coming to New York later this year.

The a live show, which sold out when it premiered in Australia, and is touring the UK this spring, will be staged for the first time in the U.S. at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday October 7, 2015. '- Gallifrey Base

So by "always" we really mean "during childhood and up to graduation."

I don't see much of the Doctor's "friend" left in the character of Missy or the Master from the 4th's The Deadly Assassin (to borrow from my two most recent viewings.)

Of course Moffat was talking there for a bit about the.. second doctor? (sorry ) And the dynamic that went on between those two. That sounds good and all, but I don't see the same dynamic working out with Missy because of how damn odious she is.